Local

On Saturday, June 28, a group of South Florida organizations will hold a rally calling on Florida to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. The “Countdown to Marriage” takes place at noon at the LGBT Visitor Center, 1130 Washington Avenue in Miami Beach.

Last month, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said in court documents that recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states would disrupt existing marriage laws and "impose significant public harm."

The reaction from the LGBT community and its allies was swift and united. Organizers of the rally hope to leverage that enthusiasm into action. Equality Florida, SAVE (Safeguarding American Values for Everyone, formerly SAVE Dade), ACLU of Florida, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) will be joined by numerous other local agencies and organizations at the rally.

With a whirlwind of favorable rulings throughout the country, the rally will also provide the community with an opportunity to hear about the status of some of the lawsuits presently in the Florida courts, as well as how to get involved in the fight for equality.

“It is important for the courts and the public to see the real people and families affected by this issue. We hope that as many families as possible will come to show their support for marriage equality and to celebrate this incredible moment in our nation's history; a time when court after court is recognizing that same-sex couples and their children deserve the same protections and respect as others” said Shannon Minter, Legal Director at NCLR.

Two of the couples who are currently suing for marriage equality — Juan del Hierro and Thomas Gantt and Karla Arguello & Cathy Pareto — will also speak at the rally, along with Row Iliescu, Equality Florida’s South Florida Development Director, Damian Pardo, SAVE board member and Daniel Tilley, ACLU staff attorney.